May the Fourth be with SpaceX space station supply run

Drone ship catches Falcon 9 booster

SpaceX plans to try again Saturday, May 4 to launch this Dragon spacecraft filled with supplies for the International Space Station. (Image: NASA/SpaceX)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.[EDITOR'S NOTE: SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket early Saturday on a supply mission to the International Space Station.]

ORIGINAL STORY:

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SpaceX’s ship Of Course I Still Love You left Port Canaveral on Friday afternoon, heading back out to sea. Hopefully when it returns to port next, it will be carrying a Falcon 9 booster home from a successful launch.

A cargo supply delivery mission to the International Space Station that was originally scheduled for April 26 is now scheduled for Saturday. It also happens to be May the Fourth to the delight of "Star Wars" fans.

SpaceX attempted to launch the Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule Friday morning before dawn but officials scrubbed the attempt due to a power issue on the rocket booster-catching drone ship.

SpaceX is targeting 2:48 a.m. to take off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 40.
Air Force weather officials with the 45th Space Wing are predicting a 70 % chance of good launch conditions for the instantaneous window. The primary concerns are thick cloud cover and rain, according to the 45th Weather Squadron forecast.

Of Course I Still Love You was repaired at the port Friday and headed back out into the Atlantic Ocean, indicating SpaceX will attempt another booster recovery after Saturday morning's liftoff.

While the Falcon 9 booster launchign is new the Dragon cargo spacecraft previously carried supplies to the space station on SpaceX's 12th delivery in August 2017. This launch will mark the 17th under SpaceX's cargo resupply contract with NASA.

The Dragon spacecraft, filled with 5,500 pounds of goods, payloads and research, will take two days to reach the space station where Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques will grab the Dragon with the space station's Canadarm2.

Meanwhile in New Zealand, another commercial space company, Rocket Lab, is planning to launch its Electron rocket on a mission for the U.S. Department of Defense around the same time. 

Check back for updates and watch the SpaceX launch live here on ClickOrlando.com.

 

Launch details

Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9 (new booster)
Mission: CRS-17 Dragon resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA
Launch Time: 2:48 a.m. EDT
Launch Window: Instantaneous
Launch Complex: 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Landing: "Of Course I Still Love You" drone ship stationed 12 miles offshore
Weather: 70% "go"


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